Eric Gordon: NBA Draft Profile

Accolades: Mr. Basketball –
Indiana – high school (07), Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year – high school
(07), McDonald’s All-American (07).

Scouting Report: An explosive,
athletic shooting guard.

Strengths: An explosive scorer –
topped 30 points in three of his first four NCAA games. Capable passer with
decent court vision. Very quick and athletic. Relentlessly attacks the hoop.
Great leaper. Very sweet looking shot. Shoots for a very high percentage from
the floor, the foul line and behind the three-point arc. Strong build – NBA
strength. Poised - used to playing in front of hostile crowds.

Weaknesses:

Undersized for an NBA two-guard – some
sites have him listed at only 6’3”. Very young and inexperienced – will only be
19-years-old when the NBA season tips off. Turnover prone – notches more
turnovers than assists. Needs to work on point guard skills for the NBA.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Top
five pick.

Consensus: Gordon’s athleticism,
explosiveness, strength and skills should allow him to score a bunch at the NBA
level. The key for him to really excel is to develop his point guard skills (or
grow a couple of inches).

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About Jeff Fox

ColumnistNBA Draft & International Hoops

Contactfoxyjj@sympatico.ca

Background

Jeff Fox is a freelance journalist based an hour outside of Toronto, Canada. While attending University of Waterloo (Canada) earning a B.A. in Economics and Management Studies, Jeff managed to walk onto the school’s varsity basketball team, the Warriors, for 2 seasons. His final year riding the pine for the Warriors saw the team make it to the CIS (Canada’s NCAA equivalent) Final 8 tournament. In addition to this site, he is a regular contributor to SLAM magzine (& online) and The Hoops Manifesto. When he isn’t planted in front of his computer he spends the rest of his time with his wife, Lisa, his son, Adam and his dog Jeannie.